


Proposition

by onnasannomiya



Series: Proposition 'Verse [1]
Category: Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), Heneral Luna (2015)
Genre: #CrimesAgainstPole, #SorryNotSorry, Alternative Universe-Modern Setting, Alternative Universe-Office, Blackmail, Gross Misapplication of Laws and Contracts, Kinda inspired by FSoG, M/M, Sexual Harrassment, warnings for the following
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 13:09:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13077543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onnasannomiya/pseuds/onnasannomiya
Summary: Pole receives an offer from his boss that he couldn't refuse.





	Proposition

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I know zero about laws and law firms, contracts, or sexual harrassment. This fic is purely an exercise in self-indulgence. Also, blatant liberties have been taken with the characterization of Philippine historical figures. Finally, major #CrimesAgainstPole ahead.

His boss must be playing a prank on him. There could be no other explanation for the contract he had just finished reading. Which his boss clearly expects him to sign.

“This has got to be a joke...right?” Pole manages to ask. His voice quavers at the last word, and Pole hates himself for how weak and tentative he sounds.

Emilio Aguinaldo, the managing partner of the law firm Pole works for, just calmly gazes back at Pole from where he is seated behind his huge mahogany desk and coolly replies, “I never joke, Mabini. I assure you, I am perfectly in earnest.”

Pole still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He wants to keep on denying what was happening and to insist that surely, his boss didn’t mean what he had just said. But what he sees in Aguinaldo’s eyes leaves Pole no more room for doubt that this contract was for real. The intent in those normally inscrutable eyes was clear and unmistakable.

Indignation rises up from within Pole and he welcomes it, feeling slightly more of himself. “Was this what you meant by ‘special project?’”

“You need the money, do you not?” his boss says silkily. When Pole doesn’t reply, Aguinaldo continues. “Your mother, hospitalized again after what, three months? Her medical expenses must be piling up. You said it yourself earlier- your health insurance can only cover so much. I’m sure you must be prepared to do _anything_ for her to get better.”

Pole doesn’t like the way his boss drawls out the word “anything,” giving it a suggestive emphasis. He opens his mouth to object, but Aguinaldo forestalls him. “Come on now, Mabini,” he says, voice taking on a cajoling tone. “This would pay much better- and faster- than any sideline you cannot possibly hold while you’re working in this firm. We both know that I’m making you an offer you cannot refuse.”

Pole takes a deep breath and counts mentally from one to ten, so that he can keep a clear head despite his growing outrage. Evidently, his boss is enjoying Pole’s helplessness, and he would have none of it. “You must be insane if you think I would ever agree to this.”

Aguinaldo remains unruffled at the accusation. “Insane, no. But you’re desperate, aren’t you? Tell me I’m wrong.”

Pole flinches at the reminder. As much as he would like to contradict his boss, there was no disputing the stark reality that he was well and truly desperate.

He decides to try another approach. “With all due respect, this is highly inappropriate, sir.”

“Inappropriate,” barely even covers the...things described in the contract. “Lewd,” would be a far more apt word for them. “Obscene,” even more so. Although couched in legal jargon, every provision, every clause of the contract conjures up images in Pole’s head that he badly wants to dispel. God, he has never entertained the possibility of such...activities before, not even in his wildest dreams. Let alone imagine that he would ever...engage in them.

  
He stresses the title “sir,” hoping that it would remind Aguinaldo that they were in a professional setting. That they were employer and employee, and as such, there are boundaries that Aguinaldo should respect. Maybe this way, Aguinaldo would be abashed enough to withdraw this...contract, and they can both carry on like this never happened the next morning. But his words apparently had no effect on Aguinaldo. He just fixes Pole with his usual impenetrable stare and replies, “In this office, I will be the best judge of that.”

Pole inhales sharply. The _gall_ of Aguinaldo to presume that he could get away with sexual harassment, of all things, at a law firm! Did Aguinaldo conveniently forget that Pole does know his rights? Like hell he was going to roll over and let his boss have his way. He squares his shoulders and says “I doubt that HR would say the same,” in his most level voice.

  
The implied threat that Pole might file a complaint with HR doesn’t seem to faze Aguinaldo at all. He remains cool as a cucumber and retorts, “That non-disclosure agreement you signed earlier should be enough for you to keep your mouth shut.”

Damn. _Damn._ Pole silently curses himself for not stopping to question the non-disclosure agreement presented to him before signing it. He had initially assumed that the ‘side project’ Aguinaldo wanted him to work on involved sensitive client information, so he took the NDA for granted and signed it without a second thought. Now he realizes that he has foolishly trapped himself and that his boss has effectively bound and gagged him. _Bound._ Pole suppresses a shudder at the implication.

“Even if you go ahead and report it, who will believe you anyway?” Aguinaldo muses idly, leaning back in his leather chair, posture sloppy and lackadaisical. “My fondness for the opposite sex is very well-known.” Pole knows this to be true; Aguinaldo goes through women like he goes through his bespoke suits. Up until this point, it would never have crossed his mind that Aguinaldo might be anything other than 100% straight. “Not to mention, I can hardly be fired from a firm that I already own. Isn’t that correct, Mabini?”

 _Think_ , Pole commands himself inwardly, _think_. _There's got to be some way around this- what your boss is doing is a crime._ But try as he may, he cannot see a loophole out of the bind that he has found himself in. If it’s just his word against Aguinaldo’s , Pole already knows what the outcome would be. He is, after all, just another employee. And not only does his boss hold the interest in this law firm, every senior partner on the board is either related to the Aguinaldos by blood or by marriage, or like the other name partners Mr. Paterno and Mr. Buencamino, long-time cronies of the family. On top of that, what he will be accusing Aguinaldo of is something as implausible as _sexual harrassment._ Pole’s all too aware of how far-fetched that would sound, either in an HR hearing or in a court of law. Even now, he still finds it downright impossible to believe himself.

“It wouldn’t do you any good to cross me, Mabini,” Aguinaldo goes on, fiddling with one of the fountain pens on his desk. “I can make your life here much more difficult than you already think it is. Even if you quit tomorrow, I can also make sure that no law firm in Manila worth considering would hire you again, despite your qualifications. A few emails from me is all it would take,” he adds, clicking something on his laptop for emphasis. “There’s no shortage of bright and eager law graduates out there.”

His boss has now crossed the line into blatant intimidation. But it’s having the desired effect on Pole, his previous outrage overtaken by fear. Aguinaldo knows exactly where he’s most vulnerable. He can’t lose this job. Not only does it allow him to pay the rent and put food on the table, it’s also his stepping stone to his eventual goal of becoming a full-fledged lawyer and securing a more comfortable life for his family. And now Aguinaldo is threatening to yank that out from beneath his feet. It wouldn’t matter how capable or competent he was, if he doesn’t get any more opportunities to prove it. And all his years of effort, of study and hard work, of sacrifices and sleepless nights, will amount to nothing in the end.

“You can still say no,” Aguinaldo says nonchalantly, as if it makes no difference to him if Pole signs the contract or not. “You can put the contract through the shredder and walk out of this office. And if you prudently keep your mouth shut about this, we can go on as before, with no one the wiser.” Then his tone shifts into something more coaxing and persuasive. “But can you really throw away your best chance to see your mother recover her health? This way, you can see to it that she will be well looked after. So, these scruples that you’re harboring- can you still afford to have them at this point?”

The illusion of choice Aguinaldo offers him only serves to heighten Pole’s sense of being backed into a corner. The more principled part of Pole that he so desperately wants to cling to would like nothing more than to toss the contract in his boss’ smug face, boldly assert that he is not for sale, march out of the office with his head held high, and file for resignation effective immediately. But then he thinks of his mother in the hospital, of his Kuya Prudencio’s pinched and weary expression the last time they spoke, the medicines and the doctors’ fees, the loans his family had taken out, his younger brothers still in school...Unfortunately for Pole, his boss is correct. He cannot afford to let his family pay the price for keeping his dignity and integrity intact.

But still, the contract...its contents. The things he would have to do, and that would be done to him, under those conditions. How on earth was he supposed to go through with it? “Please, sir,” Pole protests once more. “The contract. I can’t...possibly...” he says, voice trailing off helplessly. He hopes against hope that betraying his obvious inexperience would make Aguinaldo reconsider and call the whole thing off. His boss must have had more than his fair share of willing bed partners. Surely, he would prefer someone more wordly, more skilled?

Aguinaldo just gives Pole a lingering once-over, his dark eyes taking in Pole’s entire form. “You never know,” he says appraisingly. “You might surprise yourself at what you can do.” Then he gets up and walks casually over to where Pole is seated and steps behind him, leaning in close to whisper in Pole’s ear, low and intimate. “Besides, I will be right there with you. In every minute of it.”

A shiver runs up and down Pole’s spine upon hearing those words. His boss, whom he has confidently assumed to be heterosexual and whom Pole has certainly never thought about in that way, will get to do whatever he wants with him once Pole signs the contract. Will get him to submit and have free rein over his body. Will get to strip him bare and do all manner of unspeakable things to him. It makes Pole’s blood run both hot and cold all over.

His boss is not yet done with him, though. Aguinaldo rests a hand on Pole’s shoulder, and even through the material of his shirt, he feels the touch like a brand on his skin. “So, what’s it going to be, Mabini?” he prompts.

A defeated sigh escapes Pole. A trap has been laid out for him from the moment he stepped inside Aguinaldo’s office, and he had walked headlong into it. Now he has lost, and all that’s left was for his boss to hear Pole capitulate. He stalls some more. “This will only be temporary, right?”

Aguinaldo looks him straight in the eye and confirms, “Six months. You have my word.”

Six months. Pole can endure this...arrangement for six months. It’s not such a long time. _This is for your mother,_ he reminds himself. _You would bargain with the devil for her, if you had to. Kapit sa patalim._ And when the six months are up, his mother would be back on her feet and all his family’s loans paid off. Then Pole could get a job at another law firm and he wouldn’t have to see Emilio Aguinaldo ever again. As for how he would be able to live with himself afterwards, he’ll deal with that when the time comes.

Pole’s under no illusions as to what signing the contract would make him. Yet how can he do otherwise? His boss held all the cards, so Pole had no choice but to fold. He’s all out of options now. Whatever fight he had in him was gone, and there’s nothing else left for Pole to do, except to consent. “All right,” he says at last. “I accept.” He feels his cheeks burn with shame.

Aguinaldo hands Pole his fountain pen. “Sign then,” he orders.

Pole obeys, signing his name on the contract’s last page. _For your mother,_ he repeats in his head, _for your family_. He fights to keep his hand from shaking, but he is done in no time. He puts the pen down and closes the manila folder shut, his surrender complete.

His boss wastes no time. “Glad we’ve reached an agreement, _Pole_ ,” Aguinaldo says, voice rich with satisfaction. He grins down at Pole, wicked and wolfish, then pulls him up to his feet and claims Pole’s mouth in a slow, searing kiss. He breaks off the kiss just long enough to nibble lightly along the shell of Pole’s ear. “Relax,” he murmurs. “I promise to make it worth your while.”

**Author's Note:**

> That's it! Now I have to go bathe in holy water after this. Lord, patawad.


End file.
